During the annual gathering of the International Association of Chiefs of Police in Chicago last week, attending law enforcement leaders met to address the apparent rise in police officer suicide, vowing to address the problem with increased mental health support for officers.
According to CBS News, police leaders held a special forum during which the widow of an officer who died by suicide said during testimony, "The culture needs to change."
Janice McCarthy—whose husband Paul, a 21-year veteran of the Massachusetts State Police, took his own life in 2006—said that she believes he had been struggling with post-traumatic stress disorder for 13 years.
Earlier this year, President Donald Trump authorized $7.5 million annually for the next five years for national police suicide prevention efforts—including mental health screening and more training.
